Poll knock for Tories as conference opens
A new opinion poll, conducted after the Labour Party conference and the Hartlepool by-election, shows a resurgence of Labour Party support and a Conservative fall.
According to the Populus opinion poll for the Times, the Conservatives are down to 28 per cent, the joint worst result of Michael Howard’s leadership.
Labour are up to 35 per cent – seven points ahead of the Tories – with the Liberal Democrats on 25 per cent, just three points behind the Conservatives. UKIP is also up three points to five per cent.
In terms of the individual leaders, Mr Howard’s personal rating is down for the fourth month in the row, and is now fractionally below that of Iain Duncan Smith at the same time last year.
Worryingly for Mr Howard, over two thirds of Conservative supporters questioned by the poll said the Tory leader ought to be tougher on Europe by offering a referendum on EU membership. His rating among Tory supporters is also down.
Another poll by YouGov for The Daily Telegraph found only 11 per cent thought Mr Howard gave strong and effective leadership.
YouGov found that year-on-year the Conservatives had lost their one point lead over Labour and are now two points off the running, winning 34 per cent of voters to Labour’s 36.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) described Mr Howard as “weak and ineffectual”.
The Times poll offers a mixed picture for the Labour Party, with a rise in support and Tony Blair on the highest personal rating since May 2003. However, only two fifths of voters think that Mr Blair should serve out a full third term.
